Skin treatment machines are known suitable for skin treatment, massage, etc. which employ suction, that is, the application of negative pressure to a patient's skin. A suction device is typically provided in known treatment machines which are configured to produce a vacuum. Positive pressure may be also applied if required. One or even several applicators are typically used in the form of, for example, cup members for applying pressure, whether it is a positive pressure, negative pressure, or a pattern of combined pressure values. Applicators serve the purpose of effectively applying pressure to a location in the patient's skin through corresponding hoses. Hoses are connected to the suction device of the skin treatment machine. Known machines further comprise a valve and a controller for applying pressure to the patient's skin in a controlled way for an efficient body treatment.
In prior art treatment machines, once an operator, that is a physiotherapist, a massage therapist, etc., has selected an appropriate mode of operation (that is defined by a series of treatment parameters such as a suitable level of suction, preset vacuum pattern—steady, pulsating, oscillating—, length and pressure values, etc) vacuum is applied through each applicator to the patient's skin according to the specific skin treatment that has been selected by an operator. The operator then holds the applicator or the applicators on the target skin location such that it/they is/are always in contact with the patient's skin during treatment.
One example of a treatment device is disclosed in WO2006094348. This document teaches a device for body contouring and skin conditioning. It comprises an applicator to be placed against the skin by an operator. An oscillating pressure is applied to a patient causing vibration of the skin surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,035 shows a vacuum unit comprising separate shut-off valves that are connected to a chamber in each of which a fixed pressure is pre-set at amounts differing one from another. Hoses are provided having a first end connected to each of the respective valves and a second opposite end configured to receive a suction applicator. Suction applicators have to be held by an operator always in contact with the patient's skin during treatment.
In these prior art known suction skin treatment devices, there is a need for an operator or technician who is always pressing the applicator on the target location of the patient's skin in a way that treatment is carried out properly. The operator must first select an appropriate mode of operation, then select the target location of the patient's skin where the applicator is to be applied and finally keep the applicator in contact with the skin during treatment.
The need for an operator who is always exerting pressure on a target location of the patient's skin through one applicator (or two if using both hands) during the skin treatment makes it to be expensive as several operators must be present if a multiplicity of applicators are needed in a skin treatment for the same patient. Even if a single operator has only to be present in a skin treatment, he/she can not attend or monitor other patients or performing other operations.
In addition, it has been found that the use of manual applicators may become painful to the professional operator or operators who must apply high levels of pressure on the patient's skin surface through each applicator by using their own hands when performing treatment. Local skin treatment in which operator must stay long time at the same patient's body portion to be treated often leads to damage or at least tiredness to the operator.
This often results in overloads on the operator's joints of the hand and even in chronic illnesses, such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, rhizarthrosis. Deep massage techniques are therefore rarely performed by physiotherapists or massage therapists due to such a significant effort to be performed with their fingers. As a consequence, a skin treatment can not be optimally performed.
The present disclosure provides a solution for the above drawbacks in a way that pressure skin treatments can be effectively performed in a way that the operator is no longer tired out and/or damaged during treatment and with which several patients can be automatically treated and/or monitored through the same operator.